A lot of bad news from the airline news website this week :
Seems the credit crunch is really hitting airlines who are struggling with higher costs and weaker demand now the summer peak is over. Although the oil price has fallen from highs of $145 to around $120, the dollar has strengthened and demand has weakened as consumers brace themselves for further weakness in the economy as well as rising food prices.
This will of course hit the hotel and travel industry hard as airlines cut capacity and business travel too as companies cut out all but necessary costs.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Stockholm Jumbo Jet Hostel
Visitors to Stockholm could soon have a new option for cheap airport accommodation – a Boeing 747 at Arlanda airport. Plans have been approved to open up a Jumbo hostel which may open as early as December this year.
Stockholm could then have a really good range of hostels including a boat and a prison
Uppsala businessman Oscar Diös has been given permission by airport owner LFV and the Swedish National Roads Administration to open a youth hostel in a Jumbo Jet parked by the airport entrance.
Diös plans to rip out the plane’s 500 seats and instead install 80 beds. The cockpit will be made into a suite, and some of the equipment will be preserved.
”The challenge is that nobody has done this before, so there’s no precedent. But essentially it’s like fitting out any kind of metal barracks,” Diös told newspaper UNT.
The plane (pictured above) being used by Diös was previously owned by Swedish charter company Transjet. It has been grounded since the company had its license revoked in 2002. It has since then stood by the airport’s third runway but has now been moved to it's new location nearer the terminal.
Until it's ready we recommend hostelbookers for bookings hostels in Stockholm
Stockholm could then have a really good range of hostels including a boat and a prison
Uppsala businessman Oscar Diös has been given permission by airport owner LFV and the Swedish National Roads Administration to open a youth hostel in a Jumbo Jet parked by the airport entrance.
Diös plans to rip out the plane’s 500 seats and instead install 80 beds. The cockpit will be made into a suite, and some of the equipment will be preserved.
”The challenge is that nobody has done this before, so there’s no precedent. But essentially it’s like fitting out any kind of metal barracks,” Diös told newspaper UNT.
The plane (pictured above) being used by Diös was previously owned by Swedish charter company Transjet. It has been grounded since the company had its license revoked in 2002. It has since then stood by the airport’s third runway but has now been moved to it's new location nearer the terminal.
Until it's ready we recommend hostelbookers for bookings hostels in Stockholm
Friday, August 22, 2008
Let out your holiday home
Update : This offer is no longer being offered to anyone, instead Holiday Lettings are offering a rental guarantee - this is based on a certain number of rental enquiries being delivered to you when you sign up for their 12 month plan. Check out www.holidaylettings.co.uk/why-us
for more information.
holidaylettings.co.uk - 15 months for the price of 12!
for more information.
holidaylettings.co.uk - 15 months for the price of 12!
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- Market leader: Award-winning company established in 1999 and now part of Rightmove, a FTSE250 company
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Holiday Lettings offers effective and affordable online advertising for owners of holiday homes and apartments wishing to rent out their property. They provide detailed photographs, descriptions and availability for thousands of holiday properties all over the world. Click on the link or quote our Introducer ID number: 48059 when you contact them, enter your property details into their user-friendly system, select the annual fee option of £219+vat and enjoy 15 months promotion in your first year with Holiday Lettings.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Thomas Cook growing Turkey & Egypt
Thomas Cook, Europe's number two travel company after TUI travel, has reported strong trading as consumers continued to book leisure travel despite an economic slowdown stretching household budgets.
Thomas Cook Chief Executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa told reporters the group has so far seen no evidence of consumers cutting back on holidays or trading down.
"The main holiday is a 'must have' item for consumers. In our experience, people will cut back on all sorts of other things before they cut back on their holiday," he said.
The group, created last year from the tie-up of Arcandor's travel unit and Britain's MyTravel, said trading in the 2008 summer season is strong in all markets and early indications show bookings to be ahead of last year for winter 2008/9 and summer 2009.
Thomas Cook said it is on track to meet its expectations for the current financial year.
The group said it has taken steps to increase flexibility for summer 2009 in capacity, accommodation, cost base, and fuel hedging. Fuel has been 92 percent hedged for 2008/9.
Thomas Cook and rival TUI Travel have been cutting capacity, stripping out unprofitable or less profitable routes, leaving them with fewer packages to sell and enabling them to avoid deep discounting on late bookings.
They have also been adapting their product offering to sell fewer packages to expensive euro-denominated countries such as Spain and Portugal and more in non-Euro countries such as Egypt and Turkey, which are rapidly growing in popularity. As reported here last month, Turkey is now in pole position as Britons favourite holiday destination.
For the Thomas Cook group Winter bookings to Egypt are 20 percent up year-on-year, with Turkey bookings up 13 percent.
Hotel Jungle Comment : One thing that hasn't been mentioned so much is that people tend to book their summer holidays very far in advance so to a certain extent, holiday companies won't have felt the full force of the economic downturn yet. Charter companies also tend to hedge their fuel and currency requirements far in advance so they have also been shielded more than most scheduled airlines by the raise in fuel cost and also the weakening pound. In a similar way, all-inclusive properties will book well in the future as consumers will be keen to set their holiday budget from the outset.
Last month, German carrier Air Berlin scrapped its takeover of Thomas Cook's charter airline Condor, putting the brake on attempts to create a rival network to Lufthansa. On this matter, Thomas Cook PLC has said, while talks are continuing with Air Berlin about the feasibility of an alternative transaction, it is pursuing other options for Condor. Sources familiar with the situation said last month that these could include a three-way merger with fellow charter airline TUI Fly and Lufthansa unit Germanwings.
Thomas Cook Chief Executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa told reporters the group has so far seen no evidence of consumers cutting back on holidays or trading down.
"The main holiday is a 'must have' item for consumers. In our experience, people will cut back on all sorts of other things before they cut back on their holiday," he said.
The group, created last year from the tie-up of Arcandor's travel unit and Britain's MyTravel, said trading in the 2008 summer season is strong in all markets and early indications show bookings to be ahead of last year for winter 2008/9 and summer 2009.
Thomas Cook said it is on track to meet its expectations for the current financial year.
The group said it has taken steps to increase flexibility for summer 2009 in capacity, accommodation, cost base, and fuel hedging. Fuel has been 92 percent hedged for 2008/9.
Thomas Cook and rival TUI Travel have been cutting capacity, stripping out unprofitable or less profitable routes, leaving them with fewer packages to sell and enabling them to avoid deep discounting on late bookings.
They have also been adapting their product offering to sell fewer packages to expensive euro-denominated countries such as Spain and Portugal and more in non-Euro countries such as Egypt and Turkey, which are rapidly growing in popularity. As reported here last month, Turkey is now in pole position as Britons favourite holiday destination.
For the Thomas Cook group Winter bookings to Egypt are 20 percent up year-on-year, with Turkey bookings up 13 percent.
Hotel Jungle Comment : One thing that hasn't been mentioned so much is that people tend to book their summer holidays very far in advance so to a certain extent, holiday companies won't have felt the full force of the economic downturn yet. Charter companies also tend to hedge their fuel and currency requirements far in advance so they have also been shielded more than most scheduled airlines by the raise in fuel cost and also the weakening pound. In a similar way, all-inclusive properties will book well in the future as consumers will be keen to set their holiday budget from the outset.
Last month, German carrier Air Berlin scrapped its takeover of Thomas Cook's charter airline Condor, putting the brake on attempts to create a rival network to Lufthansa. On this matter, Thomas Cook PLC has said, while talks are continuing with Air Berlin about the feasibility of an alternative transaction, it is pursuing other options for Condor. Sources familiar with the situation said last month that these could include a three-way merger with fellow charter airline TUI Fly and Lufthansa unit Germanwings.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
British In Trouble Overseas
A total of 2,032 Britons were arrested in Spain between April 2006 and March 2007, a rise of 32% on 2005/06. The number of arrests in France over the same period rose by 42% to 153.
But based on the number of Britons travelling to a particular country, the likeliest destination to be arrested was Cyprus, followed by the US and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Foreign Office said that many of the arrests abroad were due to "behaviour caused by excessive drinking". A number of UAE arrests were due to the area's zero-tolerance policy on drugs which affected Britons transiting the UAE on the way elsewhere.
The country in which British travellers are most likely to end up in hospital is Thailand, with many hospital stays being the result of motorbike accidents.
In a separate survey, two thirds of British holidaymakers said they would be spending less on their foreign holiday preparations this year due to the credit crunch, leading to concerns that people will opt out of comprehensive travel insurance.
"This report highlights what can go wrong on holiday," said Foreign Office minister Meg Munn. "It is a reminder to all that taking out comprehensive travel insurance is a crucial part of your holiday planning and not something that should be sacrificed in order to save a few pounds. "Helping British nationals in distress overseas is one of our most important tasks but many of the problems faced by holidaymakers are preventable.
"By carrying out some simple research on the laws, customs and health requirements of a country in advance, many people could prevent their holidays being ruined."
But based on the number of Britons travelling to a particular country, the likeliest destination to be arrested was Cyprus, followed by the US and United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Foreign Office said that many of the arrests abroad were due to "behaviour caused by excessive drinking". A number of UAE arrests were due to the area's zero-tolerance policy on drugs which affected Britons transiting the UAE on the way elsewhere.
The country in which British travellers are most likely to end up in hospital is Thailand, with many hospital stays being the result of motorbike accidents.
In a separate survey, two thirds of British holidaymakers said they would be spending less on their foreign holiday preparations this year due to the credit crunch, leading to concerns that people will opt out of comprehensive travel insurance.
"This report highlights what can go wrong on holiday," said Foreign Office minister Meg Munn. "It is a reminder to all that taking out comprehensive travel insurance is a crucial part of your holiday planning and not something that should be sacrificed in order to save a few pounds. "Helping British nationals in distress overseas is one of our most important tasks but many of the problems faced by holidaymakers are preventable.
"By carrying out some simple research on the laws, customs and health requirements of a country in advance, many people could prevent their holidays being ruined."
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Hotel Fox Copenhagen
Hotel Fox, Copenhagen
This Hotel is "ultra modern" and "ultra chic" and all rooms were decorated by 21 artists. In the lobby a "feather chandelier" greets the guests and the lift is "graffiti-decorated". You can choose your room and stay in "kitsch", "magical", "the sultry" or have a good night in "sleep well". Some rooms are a little bit "extreme", but the bathrooms are "utterly white tiled". The lobby-cafe is "very cool" and has arts "extended" on the walls. Right in front of the hotel you will find shops and cafes.
The hotel rents out bikes and ipods.
Here is a short video of hotel fox in Copenhagen.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Review : Rio Park Hotel Benidorm
Thanks to a recent travel agency fam trip to Benidorm staying at the Rio Park, this post has been updated and moved to a new home here :
Rio Park Benidorm holiday review
Quick summary : Great location, good value hotel punching above it's weight considering it's a 2 star.
Rio Park Benidorm holiday review
Quick summary : Great location, good value hotel punching above it's weight considering it's a 2 star.
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